diff --git a/include/axolotl/ratchet.hh b/include/axolotl/ratchet.hh
index f7d30d0..eaf1352 100644
--- a/include/axolotl/ratchet.hh
+++ b/include/axolotl/ratchet.hh
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ struct Ratchet {
         std::uint8_t * input, std::size_t input_length
     );
 
-    /** The maximum number of bytes of output the encrypt method will write for
+    /** The number of bytes of output the encrypt method will write for
      * a given message length. */
-    std::size_t encrypt_max_output_length(
+    std::size_t encrypt_output_length(
         std::size_t plaintext_length
     );
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ struct Ratchet {
     /** An upper bound on the number of bytes of plain-text the decrypt method
      * will write for a given input message length. */
     std::size_t decrypt_max_plaintext_length(
-        std::size_t input_length
+        std::uint8_t const * input, std::size_t input_length
     );
 
     /** Decrypt a message. Returns the length of the decrypted plain-text or
diff --git a/src/ratchet.cpp b/src/ratchet.cpp
index 5097643..91e5ce6 100644
--- a/src/ratchet.cpp
+++ b/src/ratchet.cpp
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::unpickle(
 }
 
 
-std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::encrypt_max_output_length(
+std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::encrypt_output_length(
     std::size_t plaintext_length
 ) {
     std::size_t counter = 0;
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::encrypt(
     std::uint8_t const * random, std::size_t random_length,
     std::uint8_t * output, std::size_t max_output_length
 ) {
-    std::size_t output_length = encrypt_max_output_length(plaintext_length);
+    std::size_t output_length = encrypt_output_length(plaintext_length);
 
     if (random_length < encrypt_random_length()) {
         last_error = axolotl::ErrorCode::NOT_ENOUGH_RANDOM;
@@ -428,9 +428,19 @@ std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::encrypt(
 
 
 std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::decrypt_max_plaintext_length(
-    std::size_t input_length
+    std::uint8_t const * input, std::size_t input_length
 ) {
-    return input_length;
+    axolotl::MessageReader reader;
+    axolotl::decode_message(
+        reader, input, input_length, ratchet_cipher.mac_length()
+    );
+
+    if (!reader.ciphertext) {
+        last_error = axolotl::ErrorCode::BAD_MESSAGE_FORMAT;
+        return std::size_t(-1);
+    }
+
+    return ratchet_cipher.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(reader.ciphertext_length);
 }
 
 
@@ -438,11 +448,6 @@ std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::decrypt(
     std::uint8_t const * input, std::size_t input_length,
     std::uint8_t * plaintext, std::size_t max_plaintext_length
 ) {
-    if (max_plaintext_length < decrypt_max_plaintext_length(input_length)) {
-        last_error = axolotl::ErrorCode::OUTPUT_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL;
-        return std::size_t(-1);
-    }
-
     axolotl::MessageReader reader;
     axolotl::decode_message(
         reader, input, input_length, ratchet_cipher.mac_length()
@@ -458,6 +463,15 @@ std::size_t axolotl::Ratchet::decrypt(
         return std::size_t(-1);
     }
 
+    std::size_t max_length = ratchet_cipher.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(
+        reader.ciphertext_length
+    );
+
+    if (max_plaintext_length < max_length) {
+        last_error = axolotl::ErrorCode::OUTPUT_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL;
+        return std::size_t(-1);
+    }
+
     if (reader.ratchet_key_length != KEY_LENGTH) {
         last_error = axolotl::ErrorCode::BAD_MESSAGE_FORMAT;
         return std::size_t(-1);
diff --git a/tests/test_ratchet.cpp b/tests/test_ratchet.cpp
index e262bfa..e1a0519 100644
--- a/tests/test_ratchet.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_ratchet.cpp
@@ -54,13 +54,11 @@ std::size_t message_length, random_length, output_length;
 std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
 {
     /* Bob sends Alice a message */
-    message_length = bob.encrypt_max_output_length(plaintext_length);
+    message_length = bob.encrypt_output_length(plaintext_length);
     random_length = bob.encrypt_random_length();
     assert_equals(std::size_t(0), random_length);
-    output_length = alice.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message_length);
 
     std::uint8_t message[message_length];
-    std::uint8_t output[output_length];
 
     encrypt_length = bob.encrypt(
         plaintext, plaintext_length,
@@ -69,6 +67,8 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
     );
     assert_equals(message_length, encrypt_length);
 
+    output_length = alice.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message, message_length);
+    std::uint8_t output[output_length];
     decrypt_length = alice.decrypt(
         message, message_length,
         output, output_length
@@ -80,13 +80,11 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
 
 {
     /* Alice sends Bob a message */
-    message_length = alice.encrypt_max_output_length(plaintext_length);
+    message_length = alice.encrypt_output_length(plaintext_length);
     random_length = alice.encrypt_random_length();
     assert_equals(std::size_t(32), random_length);
-    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message_length);
 
     std::uint8_t message[message_length];
-    std::uint8_t output[output_length];
     std::uint8_t random[] = "This is a random 32 byte string.";
 
     encrypt_length = alice.encrypt(
@@ -96,6 +94,8 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
     );
     assert_equals(message_length, encrypt_length);
 
+    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message, message_length);
+    std::uint8_t output[output_length];
     decrypt_length = bob.decrypt(
         message, message_length,
         output, output_length
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
 
 {
     /* Alice sends Bob two messages and they arrive out of order */
-    message_1_length = alice.encrypt_max_output_length(plaintext_1_length);
+    message_1_length = alice.encrypt_output_length(plaintext_1_length);
     random_length = alice.encrypt_random_length();
     assert_equals(std::size_t(32), random_length);
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
     );
     assert_equals(message_1_length, encrypt_length);
 
-    message_2_length = alice.encrypt_max_output_length(plaintext_2_length);
+    message_2_length = alice.encrypt_output_length(plaintext_2_length);
     random_length = alice.encrypt_random_length();
     assert_equals(std::size_t(0), random_length);
 
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
     );
     assert_equals(message_2_length, encrypt_length);
 
-    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message_2_length);
+    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(
+        message_2, message_2_length
+    );
     std::uint8_t output_1[output_length];
     decrypt_length = bob.decrypt(
         message_2, message_2_length,
@@ -161,7 +163,9 @@ std::size_t encrypt_length, decrypt_length;
     assert_equals(plaintext_2_length, decrypt_length);
     assert_equals(plaintext_2, output_1, decrypt_length);
 
-    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(message_1_length);
+    output_length = bob.decrypt_max_plaintext_length(
+        message_1, message_1_length
+    );
     std::uint8_t output_2[output_length];
     decrypt_length = bob.decrypt(
         message_1, message_1_length,